Cretan Greek

Dialect of modern Greek Cretan GreekΚρητική ΔιάλεκτοςPronunciationkritiˈci ðiˈalektosNative toGreece, SyriaRegionCreteLanguage familyIndo-European HellenicAttic–IonicGreekSouthernCretan GreekWriting systemGreek alphabetLanguage codesISO 639-3–Glottologcret1244Linguasphere56-AAA-agIETFel-u-sd-grm Cretan Greek, or the Cretan dialect (Greek: Κρητική Διάλεκτος, [kritiˈci ðiˈalektos]), is a variety of Modern Greek spoken in Crete and by the Cretan diaspora. Geographic distribution The Cretan dialect is spoken by the majority of the Cretan Greeks on the island of Crete, as well as by several thousands of Cretans who have settled in major Greek cities, most notably in Athens. The dialect also survived in the major centers of the Greek diaspora in the United States, Australia, and Germany. In addition, the descendants of many Cretan Muslims, who left the island during the 19th and early 20th century, continue to use it today, albeit rarely. They constitute the majority of the overall population in Ayvalık and Cunda Island as a result of the population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1923. There is another grouping of Cretan Muslims in the co